Great Ape Vegeta did not rush to kill Goku. He was enjoying it.
Like a cat toying with its prey, every swing of his massive hand unleashed destructive gusts, batting Goku around the shattered terrain like a ragdoll.
"What's wrong, Kakarot? Where did all that confidence go?"
Vegeta roared with laughter, kicking apart the rock formation that had been shielding Goku.
"In this form, my power increases tenfold. This is the ultimate weapon that allowed the Saiyans to conquer countless worlds."
"All you can do now is tremble… and die."
Goku struggled out of the rubble, his gi torn to pieces. Blood streamed down his forehead, blurring his vision.
He looked up at the towering ape, at those savage crimson eyes.
And suddenly, deep within his mind, a long-buried memory shattered through the darkness.
A full moon.
A giant monster.
Crushed houses.
And… his grandfather.
Goku's pupils shrank. His heart felt like it was being crushed by an invisible hand.
"A… monster…"
His voice trembled.
"Grandpa… Grandpa was killed by a monster… that night… under the full moon…"
He had always believed his grandfather, Grandpa Gohan, died at the hands of some unknown beast.
Because that night, he had been asleep. He remembered nothing.
But now, looking at Vegeta, at the tail, at the transformation triggered by the moon…
Everything clicked into place.
There had been no other beast.
The monster that night… was him.
"It… was me?"
His legs gave out. He collapsed to his knees as tears poured down his face.
"I… I killed Grandpa…?"
Guilt crashed over him like a tidal wave.
The gentle old man who raised him, fed him, taught him everything…
Killed by his own hands, while out of control.
"Hahaha! Judging by that look, it seems you remembered something interesting."
Vegeta caught the shift instantly, his voice dripping with cruelty.
"So you've transformed before without knowing. Tell me… how does it feel to kill someone you loved?"
"Shut up!"
Goku snapped his head up. The tears evaporated under the heat of his fury.
"I won't forgive you… and I won't forgive myself!"
He forced himself back to his feet.
His ki, which had nearly vanished, flared up again.
But now, it carried something more than fighting spirit. There was resolve in it. Something heavy. Final.
"Everyone… get out of here!"
Goku's voice tore through the battlefield.
"Krillin! Take Gohan! Take Trunks! Take everyone and run! Go as far as you can!"
"Goku, what are you saying?" Tien shouted from afar.
"I'll hold him off!"
Goku clenched his fists so tightly his nails drew blood.
"I don't have the strength to beat him anymore… but I can buy time! This is my responsibility. I'll end it myself!"
He was ready to burn what little life he had left, to force his body beyond its limits again.
Even if it destroyed him.
Even if it meant taking Vegeta down with him.
Just like his grandfather had once protected him.
"Don't be stupid, Goku! You'll die!" Yamcha shouted in panic.
"Just go!"
Goku roared as the red aura around him became unstable, violently flickering. His body was on the verge of collapse.
And then…
A warm hand gently rested on his shoulder.
It was not large, not imposing, even a little rough.
But it carried a steady, calming strength.
The chaotic red aura around Goku instantly settled.
"Alright, that's enough of the dramatic farewell."
A familiar voice spoke casually beside him.
Goku turned, stunned.
A shining bald head reflected the eerie light of the artificial moon.
"Kr… Krillin?"
Krillin stood there, one hand still in his pocket, completely at ease as if nothing in the world could shake him.
"This is Earth, not a stage for tragic endings."
He glanced at Goku with a faint smirk.
"And besides, if I let you play the hero alone, how am I supposed to explain that to Gohan later?"
"But Krillin! He's at one hundred eighty thousand power level!"
Goku grabbed his arm, desperate.
"Even with your abilities, that's…"
"One hundred eighty thousand?" Krillin shrugged and looked up at the massive ape.
"Sounds big. Still just a bigger monkey."
[System Notification: Extreme combat disparity detected.]
[S-Rank Timed Mission Activated: Observe the Beast.]
[Objective: Force Vegeta out of Great Ape form and deliver physical correction.]
[Reward: Unlock skill Serious Series Binding Ring, all attributes +1000.]
The system flickered in Krillin's vision.
He gently pushed Goku aside and stepped forward.
With that single step, the raging winds abruptly stopped.
"Hey, you oversized furball."
Krillin placed his hands on his hips, looking up at Vegeta.
"I'm not against evolution, but turning into this in public and throwing mountains around is pretty rude."
Great Ape Vegeta froze for a moment, then burst into deafening laughter.
"Hahaha! Where do you get your confidence, little bald man?"
He leaned down, his massive face looming close.
"Came here to die? Or entertain me before you beg?"
"No."
Krillin shook his head. The amusement faded from his face.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm open.
"I just think you broke the rules."
His voice was calm, but it cut through the battlefield clearly.
"So…"
His eyes changed.
The black and white vanished, replaced by pure gold.
A vast, sacred, yet terrifying aura erupted from his body.
"A mistake… needs to be corrected."
Boom!
A pillar of golden-red light erupted skyward, piercing the clouds and overwhelming even the artificial moon.
The entire region trembled. Stones lifted into the air. Gravity itself seemed to distort.
[System Loading…]
[Saitama Template Sync: 37%]
[Kaioken Multiplier Set: 20x Stable Overdrive]
[Special Form Activated: Sacred Form]
"What… what is this power?!"
Piccolo collapsed to his knees in the distance.
This was no longer human.
It felt like facing something out of ancient legend.
The aura carried both the violent intensity of Kaioken and a vast, almost divine stillness.
Two opposing forces, perfectly balanced.
The light faded.
Krillin still stood there.
But he had completely changed.
Golden patterns flowed across his skin like liquid light. A radiant halo formed behind his head, slowly rotating.
And surrounding that divine glow was a dense crimson aura, the manifestation of Kaioken pushed to its limit.
Red fury.
Golden divinity.
Krillin now stood like a sacred figure wreathed in blazing fire.
[Status Update]
[Name: Krillin]
[Race: Human, limiter broken]
[Current Form: Crimson Lotus Sacred Form]
[Battle Power: Unquantifiable]
[Duration: 3 minutes, overload warning]
"This… this is impossible!"
Great Ape Vegeta instinctively stepped back, crushing a hill beneath his foot.
Every instinct screamed danger.
The tiny figure before him felt more terrifying than any cosmic abyss.
"What… are you?" Vegeta roared.
Krillin slowly floated upward until he was level with the giant ape's eyes.
He pressed his palms together, lowering his gaze slightly. His voice rang out like a bell across heaven and earth.
"I am Krillin."
"I'm here… to put an end to this."